WHUFC.com
All the background information and early team news ahead of Saturday's trip
to the Potteries
16.09.2010
Stoke City v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Britannia Stadium
Saturday 18 September 2010
Kick-off: 12.45pm
Referee: Lee Mason
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Stoke City for their fifth Barclays Premier
League match of the 2010/11 season.
• The Hammers are aiming to kick-start their season after tasting defeat in
each of their opening four Premier League fixtures. An opening-day reverse
at Aston Villa (0-3) was followed by a disappointing home reverse against
Bolton Wanderers on Saturday 21 August (1-3), a loss at Manchester United on
Saturday 28 August (0-3) and a closely-fought home defeat by champions
Chelsea last Saturday (1-3). Avram Grant's side also defeated Oxford United
(1-0) in the Carling Cup second round to set up a third-round trip to
Sunderland on Tuesday 21 September.
• Stoke picked up their first league points of the season when Robert Huth's
last-gasp goal handed the Potters a 2-1 home victory over Aston Villa. Prior
to that dramatic victory, Tony Pulis's side had been defeated at
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-2) and Chelsea (0-2) and home by Tottenham
Hotspur (1-2). Stoke also reached the Carling Cup third round by defeating
Shrewsbury Town (2-1) and face Fulham at home in the third round on Tuesday
21 September.
• West Ham manager Avram Grant and centre-back Tal Ben Haim will both be
absent from Saturday's game as they respect the Jewish holy day of Yom
Kippur. Dating back thousands of years, Yom Kippur - or Day of Atonement -
is the most significant day of the year. It is a strict day of fasting and
abstaining that forbids all followers to work. The club fully respect and
understand the situation. The manager will pick and prepare the side as
usual and fully ensure that all are ready for the match this weekend.
Assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic, senior coach Paul Groves and first-team
coach Kevin Keen will all be on the bench at the Britannia Stadium.
• The match is live on Sky Sports. West Ham will be appearing in front of
live television cameras for the first time since Monday 19 April, when the
Hammers were beaten 3-0 by Liverpool at Anfield in front of the ESPN
cameras. Stoke's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa last Monday evening was
screened live by Sky Sports.
• West Ham's biggest away win at Stoke came courtesy of a 4-1 Division Two
victory on 29 March 1958. Vic Keeble scored twice and John Dick and Mike
Grice once apiece as the Hammers continued their march towards the title and
promotion to Division One.
Saturday's team news
West Ham United
• New signings Lars Jacobsen and Victor Obinna look set to keep their places
after impressing on their West Ham United debuts against Chelsea last
Saturday.
• Defender Tal Ben Haim will miss Saturday's game in respect for the Jewish
holy day of Yom Kippur. The Israel defender's place will go to either James
Tomkins or Winston Reid, who both impressed in Tuesday's reserve-team
victory at Everton, or Danny Gabbidon or Manuel da Costa.
• South Africa striker Benni McCarthy could be included for the first time
since the Carling Cup victory over Oxford United on 24 August after working
hard on his fitness during the recent international break.
• The Hammers could again be without Thomas Hitzlsperger after the
28-year-old picked up a thigh injury during Germany's international friendly
draw in Denmark last month.
• Peter Kurucz, Jack Collison, Zavon Hines and Anthony Edgar on the
long-term injured list are all recovering from knee surgery. Kurucz and
Edgar have recently undergone surgery, while Collison and Hines are regular
visitors to Chadwell Heath as they continue their rehabilitation.
Stoke City
• Stoke City will definitely be without Mali international striker Mamady
Sidibe, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2010/11 season after
suffering a ruptured achilles in the 2-1 home Barclays Premier League defeat
by Tottenham Hotspur on 21 August.
Previous meetings
• The most recent meeting between the two sides was on 27 March 2010, when
34,564 supporters saw Stoke City run out fortunate 1-0 winners in a Barclays
Premier League fixture at the Boleyn Ground. Despite the Hammers having the
majority of the play and the clear-cut chances, striker Ricardo Fuller
scored the only goal of the game with an individual strike on 69 minutes.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Upson, Da Costa, Spector, Parker, Noble
(Ilan 76), Dyer (Diamanti 46), Behrami, Cole, Mido (McCarthy 84)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Daprela, Gabbidon, Kovac
Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Faye (Wilkinson 26), Collins, Higginbotham,
Lawrence, Whelan, Delap, Etherington (Fuller 67), Sidibe, Kitson (Tuncay 48)
Subs not used: Begovic, Pugh, Amdy Faye, Moult
• Saturday's game marks the 79th time West Ham and Stoke have faced one
another in competitive fixtures, and the 67th in the Football League and
Premier League. West Ham have won 31, Stoke 29 and there have been 18 draws.
In this competition, West Ham have won 26, Stoke 25 and 15 matches have been
drawn.
Overall record v Stoke City (all competitions) W 31 D 18 L 29
Last time out
• West Ham United were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday 11 September. The Barclays Premier League champions took the lead
in the second minute when Michael Essien headed in Didier Drogba's corner.
Chelsea doubled their lead on 18 when Matthew Upson's clearance hit Salomon
Kalou on the heel and looped past Robert Green. Essien put the Blues 3-0 up
with seven minutes remaining with another header from Paulo Ferreira's cross
before Scott Parker scored an 85th-minute consolation with a superb
cushioned volley. Frederic Piquionne hit the underside of the bar with a
late header, but Chelsea held on.
11 September 2010
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-3 Chelsea
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Ben-Haim, Upson, Ilunga, Parker, Noble,
Behrami (Piquionne 72), Boa Morte (Dyer 45), Cole, Obinna
Subs not used: Stech, Kovac, Faubert, Tomkins, Barrera
• Stoke City picked up their first win of the Barclays Premier League season
in from of live Sky Sports cameras on Monday 13 September, defeating Aston
Villa 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium. Having fallen behind to a diving header
from Stewart Downing, the Potters equalised through summer signing Kenwyne
Jones with ten minutes remaining before Robert Huth diverted the ball into
the net in the third minute of added time.
13 September 2010
Barclays Premier League
Stoke City 2-1 Aston Villa
Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Faye, Collins, Wilson (Pennant 65), Shawcross,
Delap (Whelan 87), Etherington, Whitehead, Walters (Fuller 61), Jones
Subs not used: Begovic, Gudjohnsen, Wilkinson, Higginbotham
West Ham United
• Valon Behrami could make his 50th Barclays Premier League start for the
club at the Britannia Stadium. The Switzerland midfielder has made 56 league
and cup appearances in total, scoring three goals.
• The Hammers brought in eight new players this summer - Obinna, Jacobsen,
Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, Mexico winger Pablo Barrera, France
forward Frederic Piquionne, New Zealand defender Winston Reid, Belgian
goalkeeper Ruud Boffin and Israel defender Tal Ben Haim, who has arrived on
loan from Grant's former club Portsmouth.
• Five senior players left the Boleyn Ground during the summer transfer
window - Alessandro Diamanti and Fabio Daprela both joined Italian Serie A
new boys Brescia Calcio on permanent contracts. Brazilian Ilan was released
at the end of his short-term contract, Egyptian Mido returned to
Middlesbrough following the end of his loan spell and has since joined Ajax,
while Mexican Guillermo Franco was released at the end of his one-year
contract.
• Teenage midfielder Josh Payne was released and subsequently joined
Doncaster Rovers before being loaned to Oxford United. Academy graduate
Bondz N'Gala has linked up with Plymouth Argyle on a permanent basis.
• West Ham possess the tenth-best record in Premier League history. The
Hammers have contested 582 matches, winning 195, drawing 146 and losing 241.
West Ham have scored 682 goals and conceded 822 in those matches. In total,
the Hammers have won 731 Premier League points.
Stoke City
• Stoke City go into Saturday's match 18th in the Barclays Premier League
table, having collected three points from four matches.
• Stoke brought in two strikers to boost their attacking options. Jon
Walters was snapped up from Ipswich Town for £2.75m, while the club splashed
out £8m to bring in Trinidad and Tobago international Kenwyne Jones from
Sunderland. Iceland forward Eidur Gudjohnsen was snapped up from AS Monaco
on a permanent contract, while midfielder Salif Diao rejoined the club on a
free contract. Winger Jermaine Pennant has been brought in on loan from
Spanish club Real Zaragoza. Finally, defender Marc Wilson has arrived from
Portsmouth.
• The Potters allowed young striker Nathaniel Wedderburn to join Northampton
Town on a free transfer, veteran defender Andy Griffin to join Reading for
an undisclosed fee, while England striker James Beattie left for Scottish
giants Rangers, also for an undisclosed fee. Striker Dave Kitson joined
Portsmouth on transfer deadline day as part of the deal that took Marc
Wilson to Stoke, but team-mate Liam Lawrence missed the transfer deadline
and has instead joined Pompey on an emergency loan until January 2011.
• Diego Arismendi has joined Barnsley on loan, while Ibrahima Sonko and Carl
Dickinson have also linked up with Portsmouth on a temporary basis. Ben
Marshall has been loaned to Carlisle United.
• Stoke have the 34th-best record in the history of the Premier League. The
Potters have contested 80 matches, winning 24, drawing 23 and losing 33.
Stoke have scored 76 goals in those matches, conceding 110. In all, Stoke
have collected 95 Premier League points.
Ten-year League records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Stoke City
2009/10 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2008/09 Premier League 12th (45 points)
2007/08 Championship 2nd (79 points - promoted)
2006/07 Championship 8th (73 points)
2005/06 Championship 13th (58 points)
2004/05 Championship 12th (61 points)
2003/04 Championship 11th (66 points)
2002/03 Championship 21st (50 points)
2001/02 League One 5th (80 points - promoted via play-offs)
2000/01 League One 5th (77 points)
Old boys
• West Ham first-team coach Kevin Keen made 201 league and cup appearances
for Stoke between October 1994 and September 2000, scoring 12 goals. Keen, a
former West Ham apprentice, made 279 league and cup appearances for the
Hammers between March 1984 and July 1993, scoring 30 goals.
• Stoke winger Matthew Etherington made 195 appearances for West Ham between
August 2003 and January 2009, scoring 18 goals. He joined the Potters on 8
January 2009, having moved to the Boleyn Ground from Tottenham Hotspur
five-and-a-half years previously.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Clive Clarke,
Bob Dixon, Sir Geoff Hurst, Lawrie Leslie, Nicky Morgan, Henri Camara and
Frank Richardson.
Saturday's officials
Referee - Lee Mason
Assistant referees - Andy Halliday and Mick McDonough
Fourth Official - Kevin Friend
• Lee Mason started refereeing in 1988 and in 1992 he was added to the North
West Counties Football League assistant referees' list, and progressed to
full referee for that competition four years later.
• He was included on the Football League list of assistant referees in 1998,
and was then added to the Premier League list in 2000.
• In 2002, he was promoted to referee for the Football League and in 2003
became a 'Development Group' referee, before finally reaching the Premier
League list of Select Group referees in 2006.
• His first ever match in the top tier was on 4 February 2006, when
Middlesbrough lost 4-0 at home to Aston Villa.
• Mason was also chosen to control the League One Play-Off final between
Barnsley and Swansea on 27 May 2006 and also took charge of the 2009 FA
Youth Cup final first leg between Arsenal and Liverpool.
• Mason took charge of West Ham United's FA Cup fourth-round victory at
Hartlepool United on 24 January 2009. He also officiated the 1-0 Barclays
Premier League defeat at Birmingham City on 12 December 2009.
• The 38-year-old has refereed two Barclays Premier League fixtures so far
this season - Everton's 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 21 August
and Blackpool's 2-0 victory at Newcastle United on 11 September.
Next up
• West Ham United travel to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening to face
Sunderland in the Carling Cup third round, with kick-off at 7.45pm.
• Stoke City host Fulham in the Carling Cup third round on Tuesday evening,
with kick-off at 7.45pm.
General information
• Saturday's weather forecast is for light rain with a maximum daytime
temperature of 15C (59F) in Stoke on Trent.
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Stoke v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1245 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio, Final Score,
live on Sky Sports 2 & highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
Stoke have a clean bill of health ahead of the visit of West Ham United.
Striker Eidur Gudjohnson will be hoping to make his Potters debut, but
Mamady Sidibe remains a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury.
West Ham manager Avran Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim will miss the game
because it falls on the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur. Danny Gabbidon and
Thomas Hitzlsperger are struggling with hamstring and thigh injuries
respectively.
Stoke
Injured: Sidibe (Achilles)
West Ham
Doubtful: Gabbidon (hamstring), Hitzlsperger (thigh)
Injured: Collison, Hines & Kurucz (all knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
Avram Grant's hangdog demeanour may be nothing new, but if the rumours are
true then the former Chelsea manager's future at West Ham looks bleak.
Dating back thousands of years, Yom Kippur is the most significant day of
the Jewish year. It is a strict day of fasting and abstaining that forbids
all followers to work. West Ham United fully respect and understand the
situation The Hammers have made their worst start to a league campaign in
their 115-year history, and fans have already had to lower their
expectations from a mid-table finish to simply top-flight survival. A fifth
straight defeat at Stoke is unthinkable. Grant will miss the game that many
are speculating could decide his future in order to observe the Jewish holy
day of Yom Kippur. Also missing for the same reason will be Tal Ben Haim,
which means captain Matthew Upson's plea for a settled backline will go
unheeded.
The Hammers need look no further than Stoke for inspiration. The Potters
shrugged off their own nightmare start to the season with a late comeback
against Aston Villa for their first victory of the campaign. Tony Pulis
illustrated his commitment to the cause by attending the Villa game despite
a family bereavement earlier in the day, and the Stoke boss will be looking
for the same level of bravery from his squad as he plots the club's ascent
up the table.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• These sides have met on 78 previous occasions. Stoke have won 29, West Ham
31 and there have been 18 draws.
• West Ham have won on three of their last four visits to Stoke.
• Stoke are yet to keep a clean sheet in five league and cup fixtures this
season.
• They have lost six of their last nine Premier League matches.
• Kenwyne Jones is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance.
• Matthew Etherington has been the most successful crosser in the league
this season, finding a team-mate 12 times.
West Ham
• Only Swindon in 1993/94 (-12) have ever had a worse goal difference after
four Premier League games than West Ham this season (-10).
• The Hammers have kept one clean sheet in their last 16 league games.
• They have not won a match away from home since the opening day of last
season (a 2-0 win at Wolves).
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Stoke
Faye, Fuller, Huth & Jones: 1 goal (1 league);
Sanli & Walters: 1 goal (0 league)
West Ham
Parker: 2 goals (1 league); Noble: 1 goal (1 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant referees: Andy Halliday & Mick McDonough
Fourth official: Kevin Friend
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Stoke (W2-1 v Aston Villa, h): Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins,
Delap (Whelan 87), Whitehead, Wilson (Pennant 65), Etherington, Walters
(Fuller 61), Jones. Subs not used: Begovic, Higginbotham, Gudjohnsen,
Wilkinson.
West Ham (L1-3 v Chelsea, h): Green, Jacobsen, Ben-Haim, Upson, Ilunga,
Parker, Behrami (Piquionne 72), Noble, Boa Morte (Dyer 46), Cole, Obinna.
Subs not used: Stech, Tomkins, Barrera, Kovac, Faubert.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 16th September 2010
By: Preview Percy
Top Gear has "The Stig". We have Preview Percy. I wonder if Clarkson would
entertain a swap deal....
Next up we face a trip up the motorways to face Stoke City at the Britannia
Stadium for a 12:45 kick-off in a match that will be shown live on Sky.
Stoke currently lie two places and three points above us in 18th spot. The
Potters' results up to Monday night were fairly similar to ours. They lost
away at Wolves on the opening day and followed that match up with a slightly
unfortunate defeat to Spurs at home. Having ignored a foul in the build up,
the ref decided that the ball hadn't crossed the line from a late header,
despite being in perfect position to see that it had done so. The usual
arguments for goal-line technology followed but frankly when something is
that obvious to an official and he still misses it, I'm not sure I'd trust
an employee of the Professional Game Match Officials organisation to press
the right button on the recording machine without accidentally recording
EastEnders all over the vital moment.
Their three points to date came on Monday night following their somewhat
controversial win at home to Villa. Their late winner followed one of the
worst dives you could ever wish to see from Jermaine "Tag Boy" Pennant.
Pennant has spells at both Arsenal and Liverpool on his CV so his
unsteadiness came as no surprise to anyone, except obviously ref Probert,
who was so shocked that he compounded his original error by allowing Stoke
to take the free kick miles away from where the original, er, "offence" had
allegedly taken place.
They were reasonably active in the window with five plus a loan in and five
plus two loans out. In the arrivals lounge were Pennant, a loan from Real
Zaragoza, Marc Wilson, an alleged Hammers target from Pompey, Eidur
Gudjonsen from Monaco, Jonathan Walters from Ipswich, Kenwyne Jones from
Sunderland and 'keeper Carlo Nash from Everton. Jones, for whom Stoke paid
£8m, will be familiar to Hammers fans from his Mackem days. In one match at
the Boleyn few seasons ago he came off the bench and caused mayhem in the
defence. In subsequent matches the defence managed to keep him fairly quiet
but he still made an impression, getting sent off for a shove into the face
of Herita Ilunga in our match at the Stadium of Light. Jones is likely to be
more of a threat with his current employers, whose "unsophisticated"
approach to the game is right up his street.
Eidur Gudjonsen is another familiar name, having been linked with us during
virtually every transfer window for the last five years. That he wasn't
linked with us during the last window owes much to the fact that SuGo got
rather cheesed off with the way he messed us about during the previous one
before electing to sit on the bench at Spurs for a few months.
No preview of our opponents would be complete without a mention of Rory
Delap whose throw-ins cause so much excitement amongst the home support. So
much so, that a throw-in at the Britannia Stadium is greeted with louder
applause than a corner. Delap has a willing target in Jones, which, given
the fact that we struggled last week in the air against the relatively
diminutive Essien, could be something of a worry. Delap was at the centre of
an hilarious kerfuffle between Lucas Neill and a ball boy a few years ago,
Neill eventually winning the argument by stopping Delap from using the
towels dotted around the pitch in preparation for his party trick.
Another source of high balls into the box is former Hammers winger Matty
Etherington who is enjoying a new lease of life in the Potteries, having
apparently put his personal and gambling issues behind him. Received wisdom
suggests that Etherington retreats into his shell if he gets a kick in the
first few minutes of a match from the opposition right back, so it'll be
interesting to see how the side copes now that we actually have a
right-back. Prior to Jacobsen's arrival, the previous specialist in that
position was the aforementioned Neill, who certainly wasn't above dishing
out an early "reminder" to Etherington when last he faced the winger whilst
wearing the claret and blue. It remains to be seen whether Jacobsen's card
will have been similarly marked.
Apart from Jones and Ilunga there will be another rematch that owes little
to the laws of the game. In the corresponding match last season Matthew
Upson was minding his own business at a set piece when he was felled by a
rather cowardly punch from German defender Robert Huth, who crept up and
decked the skipper from behind. The punch resulted in a deserved three-match
ban for the Stoke player who, when confronted with the rather damning video
evidence wisely elected not to contest the charge of violent conduct.
So what of us. Well we've already mentioned our frailty in the air as
displayed last week against Chelsea and we'll draw a discreet veil over that
second goal. Selection wise, we'll probably be without Hitzlesperger again,
though some sources suggest that Gabbidon may have recovered enough to be
available for at least a spot on the bench. The big question will be the
central defensive pairing. Like Avram Grant, Tal Ben-Haim will be absent due
to his observance of the Jewish Yom Kippur religious holiday. This leaves
one of Gabbidon, Reid, Tomkins or DaCosta to play alongside Upson.
Personally this is not a match that I'd select for Tomkins to use to repair
his apparently fragile confidence. Similarly, I'd rather someone with a bit
more experience than Reid start this one and, with Gabbidon possibly a
doubt, I'd plump for DaCosta to come in.
In midfield Berrera is likely to come into contention having missed out last
week in recovery from two matches in a week for Mexico. Up front, the form
of Carlton Cole is causing some concern – well to me anyway. The player who,
this time last season, seemed to be progressing well under the watchful eye
of Zola, seems to have forgotten much of what he learned. Time and time
again last week he would lose the ball when played up to him and it may be
time to consider the viability of the selection policy that currently reads
"Cole plus one of....."
This match will be equally as tough as last week's was supposed to be – we
are unlikely to receive the respite of them trying to play an awful lot of
football and their general attitude to the game can be gleaned from their
attitude to the skilful Tuncay, who failed to make an appearance on Monday
night. The Villa result, will see them with their tails up – any doubts
about the legitimacy of the goal will be forgotten. The emotional boost
gained from the background to the match, given the sad loss of Pulis' mother
in the run-up, should also not be underestimated.
So with a perfectly bad record, and a tough match to follow is there any
shaft of light at the end of the tunnel? Well strangely I believe there is –
but there is a caveat. For long spells on Monday Villa played football and
ought to have wrapped the match up well before half time. That they didn't
do so is largely down to poor finishing which they lived to regret in the
second half. That too has been part of our problem. The match against Bolton
should have been over by half time and even against Chelsea there were
opportunities – Obinna and Piquionne in particular ought to be devastated
that they didn't open their accounts.
I'm going to plump for a 1-1 draw on this one – optimistic maybe but you
gotta have faith as George Michael used to say. Whatever happened to him?
Enjoy the game!
Last Season: Lost 2-1 - Beattie's pair, the first a penalty following an
Etherington dive, came either side of Upson's equaliser in a match in which
we were probably worth a point.
Danger Man: Rory Delap - Given our recent frailties in defence, their one
"tactic" is just what we don't want to see this week.
Referee: Lee Mason – We only had him once last season, in the 1-0 defeat at
Birmingham in which he sent off Mark Noble for two yellows. Mason is
described as a "turkey" in one leading referee's discussion forum. Then
again the members of the same forum think Mike Dean is our best ref so make
of that what you will.
Local Tip: - There's virtually nowhere close by to the Britannia in which to
get a drink. There is a Harvester across the road which gets jam packed on
match days. If you're going to drink in there get arrive really early and
sort yourself out a table in the restaurant bit – that way you'll get
waitress service for whatever drinks you get with your grub.
Daft Fact of The Day: - Stoke's old stadium, The Victoria Ground, was
actually named after the sponge cake and not the monarch.
(Note this may not actually be true but the page on the local authority's
website headed up "Interesting facts about Stoke" turned out to contain
nothing of the sort so I made one up).
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Ben-Haim stays positive
Defender remains optimistic Hammers can get wins they need
Last updated: 16th September 2010
SSN
Tal Ben-Haim is optimistic rock bottom West Ham can start to get the wins
they need to climb the Premier League table. The Hammers go into their clash
at Stoke on Saturday on the back of four losses in the top flight this term,
conceding 12 goals and scoring just two. But Ben-Haim - who along with boss
Avram Grant has been given special dispensation to miss the Stoke game as
they observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur - has every confidence the
team can turn things around. The Israeli defender told WHUTV: "Of course we
should be optimistic. "I am sure that if we get one or two good results we
can move forward."
The on-loan Portsmouth defender believes the Hammers played well against
champions Chelsea last time out, despite the 3-1 loss. Ben-Haim, who played
under Grant at both Chelsea and Pompey, added: "We played well and created
chances against Chelsea, but we suddenly found ourselves 2-0 down.
"That is football - we need to look forward and take the points in the next
game. "It will take time, but in football we need to take the points very
quick.
"We hope that we can do it next week."
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Nouble set for Swans flight
Teenage striker set to be reunited with Rodgers on loan
Last updated: 16th September 2010
SSN
Skysports.com understands teenage West Ham striker Frank Nouble is poised to
join Swansea on a three-month loan deal. Cardiff and QPR were also
interested in the 18-year-old, who has yet to feature for the Hammers under
Avram Grant this term. But Nouble played under Brendan Rodgersas a youth at
Chelsea and the chance to work with the Swansea boss again persuaded him to
choose a switch to the Liberty Stadium. Nouble told skysports.com: "I am
looking forward to playing for Brendan again and then going back to West Ham
as a better player to help them for the rest of the season."
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Hammers - Grant is safe
Gold insists they are behind manager despite poor start
Last updated: 16th September 2010
SSN
West Ham manager Avram Grant has again been told his job is safe by Upton
Park co-owner David Gold. Grant's position has come under scrutiny with the
Hammers currently propping up the Premier League with no points from their
opening four games. The Israeli was appointed as Gianfranco Zola's
replacement following last season's battle against the drop but has so far
been unable to improve the club's fortunes. Defeats by Aston Villa, Bolton,
Manchester United and Chelsea have left the East London outfit bottom of the
pile ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke, live on Sky Sports HD2 and Sky
Sports 2. Grant will not be in attendance at the Britannia Stadium this
weekend as he observes the Jewish Holy Day of Yom Kippur. And Gold has moved
to reiterate that there are no plans to part company with the former Chelsea
and Portsmouth boss. Gold told The Sun: "It's four games against clubs who
we took two points off last term so we're just behind. "This will be called
a vote of confidence but I assure you it is a proper vote of confidence.
"Against one of the world's best, Chelsea, we saw a spirited performance
which we can build on. "Avram is safe. We will very quickly climb up."
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We'll Av a good go at Stoke
The Sun
Published: 16 Sep 2010
TAL BEN HAIM claims West Ham can get a result at Stoke — despite the fact
Avram Grant will not be there. Hammers boss Grant and Ben Haim will both
miss Saturday's trip to the Britannia to observe the Jewish holy day of Yom
Kippur. The Israeli will still pick the team but his absence is unlikely to
go down well with the West Ham faithful considering the club are rock bottom
in the Premier League. But defender Ben Haim is confident his team-mates are
more than capable of picking up the club's first points of the season. He
said: "Of course we should be optimistic. We need to look forward and take
the points in the next game. "It will take time but in football we need to
take the points very quick."
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Av had enough of you two flops
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT is running out of patience with Robert Green and Matthew Upson.
Tomorrow's crunch clash at Stoke could be the last chance for West Ham's
World Cup keeper and England defender to beat the chop. The Hammers are rock
bottom of the Premier League and the only team in the top four divisions
without a single point after four games. Much of the blame is being heaped
on the England duo, for mistakes and lapses in concentration which have seen
the Londoners concede 12 league goals already. Their combined clanger led to
Salomon Kalou's crazy goal in last week's 3-1 home defeat by Chelsea. A
Hammers insider said: "They seem to have returned from the World Cup shadows
of the players they were. "They are running out of chances and won't get
many more. The team is bottom of the table and shipping goals at an alarming
rate."
Grant will reshuffle his team for the trip to Sunderland next week in the
Carling Cup. And if he sees an improved performance, he will be ready to
stick with his stand-ins and drop West Ham's two biggest players. Czech
Under-21 keeper Marek Stech, 20, is especially earning rave reviews at Upton
Park.
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Hammer Nouble to nail down Swansea switch
Published 22:30 16/09/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham striker Frank Nouble is to link up with his old Chelsea gaffer
Brendan Rogers again - at Swansea. Rogers knows what the 18-year-old can do
after managing him in the Stamford Bridge reserve and youth set-ups before
they both moved on to new challenges. Now, he's set to sign him up on a
three-month loan deal. The Swans boss happily recalls one training session
when the then-16-year-old Nouble gave Branislav Ivanovic, now a first-team
regular at the champions, a torrid time. "Everything has been agreed between
the clubs and I'm absolutely delighted we have got a player with big
potential whom I have worked with before," he said. "I brought Frank into
the reserve team at Chelsea when he was 16 and I never forget a session
where we had a training game after we'd just signed Ivanovic. "Frank was up
against a £10milion player but his performance that day took all the coaches
by surprise.
"He was absolutely incredible. It was an amazing display from such a young
guy. But I remember thinking that day that he had all the tools to be a top
player in the Premier League. "Players like him don't come around often but
this is the perfect place for him to come on loan. Frank knows me and he's
coming to a good place. He will be a great addition to the squad."
England Under-19 international Nouble is expected to train with the Swans on
Friday and should be in the squad for tomorrow's trip to Scunthorpe. "Frank
is 6ft 2in, strong, powerful, has great pace, mobility and a real handful -
I've no doubts he will excite the crowd," said Rogers. "I spoke to Steve
Clarke and Avram Grant and they both said Frank has been fantastic in the
games he has played for West Ham. "He is highly-rated but he wasn't going to
be the first choice striker at that level at his age. He needs to play so I
say thank you to West Ham for their help. "There are different types of
loans and some clubs bring in young lads to sit on the bench. But I prefer
for them to come in and make an impact."
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West Ham can get a result at Stoke without Grant or me, says Ben Haim
Published 13:38 16/09/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Tal Ben Haim maintains his West Ham team-mates can go to Stoke and get a
result, despite the absence of both the Israeli defender and manager Avram
Grant. Both men have been given special dispensation by the Barclays Premier
League club to sit out the game at the Britannia Stadium as they observe the
Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Grant - whose side have yet to get a point
from four matches - will pick and prepare the side as usual, but will not be
on the bench as he is required to participate in 25 hours of fasting and
prayer over the course of Friday and Saturday. There have been some
suggestions the position of Grant - only appointed in the summer - is
already under threat following the Irons' terrible start. However, co-owner
David Gold maintains Grant is "safe" and has every confidence the team will
soon start climbing the table. Ben Haim agrees. He told WHUTV: "Of course we
should be optimistic. "I am sure that if we get one or two good results we
can move forward."
The defender, who played under Grant at both Chelsea and Portsmouth,
continued: "We played well and created chances against Chelsea, but we
suddenly found ourselves 2-0 down. That is football - we need to look
forward and take the points in the next game. "It will take time, but in
football we need to take the points very quick. "We hope that we can do it
next week."
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London 2012 Olympics: London Assembly criticises Olympic Board over stadium
legacy
The London Assembly has attacked the Olympic Board for making a wrong
decision in pursuing an athletics track legacy for the main Olympic stadium.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jacquelin Magnay, Olympics Editor
Published: 6:00AM BST 17 Sep 2010
The Assembly's economic development, culture, sport and tourism committee
has found that the plans to transform the stadium from its 80,000 capacity
at Games time to a 25,000 seat athletics arena was "flawed" and has
contributed to delays in securing a lasting legacy. It has also raised
questions about the amount of unsourced money required to convert the
stadium and the nearby media centre into workable premises post-Games. But
the promise of leaving an athletics track for major competitions in London
was a central plank of the Olympic bid and it found much favour with the
voting IOC members, many of whom have track and field links. At the time the
Olympic Board comprised the Mayor of London, the sports minister, the head
of the London organising committee and the British Olympic Committee. The
Olympic Park Legacy Company, which now has control of securing a more
wide-ranging mix of tenants for the stadium, has yet to confirm that the
West Ham United Football Club will be a major post-Games tenant, with the
stadium reconfigured to 65,000 seats and the athletics track also remaining.
The committee said only a major football or rugby club could provide the
huge crowds and regular use that would allow the stadium to pay for itself
and provide significant local employment. "The Olympic Board made the wrong
decision when opting for an athletics legacy and that decision could have
serious consequences for the OPLC and for whoever ultimately takes over the
stadium," committee chairman Len Duvall said. "The only sustainable future
for the stadium is regular, high capacity events and realistically that
means football or rugby. Only then will we see a stadium that pays for
itself and delivers a significant amount of local jobs."
"Put simply, an elite 25,000-seat athletics stadium is not, and was never
going to be, in the long-term interests of the East End or of the taxpayer."
The committee also found the 90,000 square metre media centre has been built
with low ceilings, the roofs being too weak to support rigging equipment and
a lack of central heating, which the committee says, would reduce its
attractiveness to tenants from the industry.
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Avram Grant in bid to be at Stoke on Saturday for West Ham despite Yom
Kippur commitment
EXCLUSIVE By MATT LAWTON Chief Football Correspondent
Last updated at 11:01 PM on 16th September 2010
Daily Mail
Avram Grant is trying to find a solution that will enable him to be at the
Britannia Stadium on Saturday for West Ham's important Barclays Premier
League clash against Stoke. West Ham's Israeli manager has accepted that he
cannot manage his team on what is Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of Atonement.
But Grant is also painfully aware of his team's current predicament - they
have failed to gain a single point from their opening four games - and
concern among many of the club's supporters that the players need their
manager more than ever. On Thursday night Grant was in discussion with
religious leaders in a bid to come up with a plan which he hopes will ease
the sense of anxiety among fans while also not offending people in Israel.
If Avram decides to walk to the Britannia Stadium from the nearest synagogue
it will take him about as long as the match itself as the closest place of
Jewish worship is in Newcastle-upon-Lyme, 4.3 miles away. The Jewish
community traditionally observe the holy day with a 25-hour period of
fasting and intensive prayer that will begin at nightfall on Friday evening
and finish on Saturday night. Grant wants to respect the tradition of Yom
Kippur, as he always has. But he will prepare the team and pick the team for
Saturday's game and he hopes that, by being close by and possibly even
somewhere in the stadium, the players and the fans will not feel he has
deserted them. If Grant were to arrive in Stoke before nightfall on Friday,
attend a synagogue service in the area, return there on Saturday morning and
then walk to to the stadium, without coming into contact with his players,
it might be considered acceptable. Particularly if he then returned to a
synagogue after the match, although again he would be expected to walk - and
not in leather shoes. Stephen Pollard, the editor of the Jewish Chronicle,
wrote on Thursday of Grant's predicament. 'Yom Kippur has no equivalent in
other religions,' said Pollard. 'The nearest is Ramadan, when Muslims fast
during the day. But Yom Kippur is far more intense. 'Grant's problem is that
he is damned whatever he does. If he stays away he will endure the wrath of
some Hammers fans who do not appreciate what Yom Kippur means to him. And he
is damned if he goes - damned in his own mind, that is.
'There is also the small matter of the reaction in Israel. If he desecrated
Yom Kippur, he would turn from being a national icon to a pariah.'
Avi Cohen, the first Israeli to play in England, caused a storm in 1980 by
playing for Liverpool against Southampton on Yom Kippur while Israeli
parliament members demanded that goalkeeper Ddudu Awat be ousted from the
national team for playing for Deportivo on Yom Kippur in 2006 - although no
action was taken. This is not new to Grant. After being appointed Chelsea
manager in 2007, he observed Yom Kippur on the day before an away match at
Manchester United. Pollard added: 'To fans who don't understand the meaning
of Yom Kippur to a Jew, it must seem a terrible dereliction of Grant's duty.
But Yom Kippur transcends everything else to a Jew.'
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Paul Ince Keen To Manage West Ham United Despite Controversial Exit As A
Player
Former midfielder would like return to Upton Park...
By Kevin Emery
Sep 16, 2010 4:22:00 PM
Goal.com
Paul Ince says he wants to become manager of West Ham United before he
finishes his career in football. The former England international would like
to manage his former club despite the hateful abuse he has received at Upton
Park over the years. Ince began his playing career at the club but signed
for Manchester United in a controversial move and he has never been forgiven
by Hammers fans for his exit in 1989, when he was photographed in a Red
Devils shirt before he had completed his move to Old Trafford. But speaking
to talkSPORT, the former midfielder said: "I would like to go back there as
a manager because that is where I started my career as a kid. "It's funny,
when Zola left my wife Clare said to me 'could you go back there?' I said it
would be a shock. "But it was in my head that one day I would like to go
back there as a manager because that is where I started my career as a kid.
"I still love the club, whether the fans might think completely different
that's fair enough, but it's always something that's in my mind." Ince
carved an excellent reputation as a manager in the lower leagues with
Macclesfield Town and MK Dons before moving to Blackburn Rovers, where he
was sacked after a short spell in charge of the Premier League club.
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